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(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. FLAD & F. HGPPNER.

OAR BRAKE.

No. 299,121. Patented May 27, 1884.

N. PETERS. Phuwunw n her. Wminmun. at; I

(IfIqModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. FLAD & F. HOPPNER.

GAR BRAKE.

No. 299,121. Patented May 27. 1884.

IN VE/VTOR 63w,

Afforney Uni-ran dramas PATENT Unmet,

HENRY FLAD AND FRITZ HGPPNER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

namesake.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,121, dated May 27, 188%. Application filed September 20, 1883. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY FLAD and FRITZ HoPrNnR, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Railroad-Oars; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improvement in brakes for railroadcars.

Heretofore in this style of braking mechanism, where the brakes are set by the combined weight of the car and its lead, a great amount of friction was developed between the bolster and the cross-beam nearest the end of the car whenever the car-body was lifted in releasing the brakes; and the object of this present invention is to obviate this difficulty by reducing the friction to a minimum, so as to enable the car-body to be elevated without the unnecessary expenditure of power; and with this end in view our invention consists in certain details in construction and combinations of parts, as will be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of our improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line a b of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the line 0 d c f of Fig 1.

A representsa portion of a car-truck of the ordinary construction, and B the wheels, so cured to the axles C, which latter are journaled in boxes in the ordinary manner. This truck A is provided with the two parallel transverse beams, 1), between which the vertically-movable bolster E is situated. This bolster E is considerably shorter than the transverse beams D, and is supported by the springs F, which latter rest on the springboard G,near the opposite ends thereof. The spring-board G sustains the entire weight of the car, and is suspended below the truck framebythe links H-four in number--which latter are situated near the four corners of the springboard and pass upwardly between the cross-beams and the bolster.

To the under side of the springboard G,

and near its opposite ends, are secured the bearing-plates I, which latter are provided on their lower faces with the semicircular recesses e, on which the bars I) rest. The links H are connected to the opposite ends of these bars in any desired manner, and pass upwardly between the transverse beams and bolster, and are connected at their upper ends to the bars J, situated above the beams and bolster. The links H and bars 6 form stirrups 011 which the spring-board, and consequently the car-body and load, rest. Thehorizontal bars J situated above the bolster, are provided at opposite ends, outside of the links, with the rollers or wheels K, adapted to move in the inclined grooved plates or boxes L, rigidly secured to the upper faces of the transverse beams by the bolts 0. Each boX is provided with a central groove inclining upwardly and inwardly, and with an end abutment, (2, adapted to limit the upward movement of the rollers. The lower outer ends of the grooves are curved to conform to the rollers, so as to form a limit of outward movement for the said rollers, and also to form a solid and substantial seat therefor when the brakes are set.

From the foregoing it will be seen thatwhen the bars J are drawn toward each other the rollers are drawn up the inclined planes of the boxes, and elevate the bolster and'springboard through the intervention of the links K and bars I). WVhen the power on the bars J is relieved, the weight of the car-body and load causes the roller to descend and rest at the lowest level in the respective boxes.

M are metallic straps adapted to embrace the central angular portion of the bars J between the rollers. The inner ends of these straps are connected by the short bolt to the links f, while the opposite ends of the said links are firmly secured to the sector-levers N at the point g. These levers N are pivotally secured to the plates 0, which latter are rigidly secured to the upper surface of the verticallymovable bolster. The sector-levers are each provided on their periphery with a second bearing, on which a portion of the long chain f rests. This second or outer bearing is formed concentric with the inner bearing, and the chains f are connected thereto at the point h.

' The outer ends of the two long chains f, or

their equivalents, of a single truck converge toward the center of the car, and are connected to the upper end of the brake-lever P. This brake-lever is connected near its lower end to the brake-beam Q, and at its lower end to the rod j,which latter connects it with the brakebeam at the opposite end of the truck. Both, of these beams are suspended from the truck by the links t, and are provided at opposite ends with brake-shoes adapted to bear against the wheels. The upper end of the brake-lever is also connected to one end of a rod or chain,

Z, the opposite end of which latter can be secured to the piston of a steam or air brake cylinder, or to a hand-wheel such as now commonly employed for setting the brakes. Thus it will be seen that when sufficient power is exerted on the sector-levers to turn them in the direction of the arrows the bolster is elevated in a direct vertical line, without any inclination to lean or bear on either of the transverse beams, and when the holding-power is released the bolster descends without inip'inging against either of the cross-beams, or without forcing thelinks thereagains't; When thebolsteris initslowestpositionthebrakes are set, and when in its highest position the brakes are off. If, when the brakes are off, it is desired to stop or retard the motion of a train, the holding-power on the upper end of the brake-lever is relieved. As the combined weight of the car and load rests on the bolsters of the two trucks, the bolsters descend as soon as theholding-power is relieved, and the rollers and bars J move outwardly toward the outer ends of the transverse beams. This movement of the bars necessarily draws the straps in the same direction, and the'latter turn the sector-levers, which, through the intervention of the chains f or their equivalents,- act through the brake-levers and set the brakes. When it is desired to start the train, power is applied to the upper end of the brake-lever, which draws it forward in the direction of the arrow. This movement turns the sectors, and thelatter, through the small chains f, draw the rollers journaled to the bars J up the inclined grooves in the boxes. As therollers move up the inclined planes, the car-body is also elevated, and the pressure of the brake-shoes on the wheels gradually relieved. The parts are held in these positions until it is again desired to stop, when the train can be brought to a standstill by throwing the weight onto the brake-shoes. Power applied to the upper end of the brakelever keeps off the brakes, and the ceasing of that power, whether intentionally or by accident, sets the brakes.

This improvement is adapted more particularly for use on freight-cars, but can be applied to passenger-cars with good results.

- It is evident that numerous slight changes in the construction and relative arrangement of the several parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention, and hence we would h-ave it understood that we do not confine ourselves tothe exact construction shown and described, but consider ourselves at liberty to make such changes and alterations as, fairly fall within the spirit and; scope of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-brake, the combination, with a movable bolster and boxesor equivalent devices, each having an inclined bearing-face, of rollers adapted to move on the inclined faces of the boxes, suitable braking mechanism, and devices connecting the rollers to the braking mechanism, whereby the movement of said rollers in one direction operates to set the brakes, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-brake, the combination, with a movable bolster and boxes orequivalent devices, each having an inclined bearing face, of rollers adapted to move on the inclined faces of the boxes, devices for indirectly connecting the rollers to the bolster, suitable braking mechanism, and devices connecting the rollers and braking mechanism,- substantially as set forth. A

3. In a car-brake, the combination, with a truck having transverse parallel beams, boxes secured to said beams,- each of said boxes be- 7 ing provided with an inclined bearing-face,

and a movable bolster situated between the transverse beams, of bars having rollers thereon which move on the inclined faces or the boxes, links for suspending the bolster from the bars, a suitable braking mechanism, and devices connecting the braking mechanism and bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

4. The combination, with a truck having roo two transverse parallel beams, boxes or plates secured to said beams, and a movable bolster situated between the beams, of the bars J, rollers secured to said bars and adapted to move on the inclined faces of the boxes, stirrups for suspending the bolster from the bars J, and devices whereby the weight of the car operates to draw the bars toward each other and elevate the bolster.-

5'. The combination, with a car-truck having two parallel transverse beams, the boxes secured tosaid beams, and a movable bolster, of stirrups, the bars J, rollers secured to said bars, and brake mechanism indirectly connected to said bars, whereby the movement of said bars operates to control the brakes.

6. The combination, with the truck, boxes provided with abutments and inclined bearing-faces, and a movable bolster, of the bars J, rollers secured to said bars, stirrups connected to said bars and supporting the bolster, straps connected to the bars, and brake mechanism indirectly connected to said straps.

7. The combination, with the car-truck, transverse beams, the boxes, and bolster,- of the bars J, rollers secured to said bars, stirrups suspended from the bars and supporting the bolster, sector-levers pivoted to the bolster, chains or equivalents connecting the sector-levers and the bars J, chains or equivalents connecting the sector-levers and brake mechanism, and means connected to the brakelever for elevating the car-body.

8. The combination, with the car-truck, the boxes, bolster, and brake mechanism, of the bars J, rollers secured to said bars, stirrups for supporting. the bolster, sector-levers pivoted, to the bolster and connected to the bars,

and chains connecting the sector-levers and brake mechanism.

-9. The combination, with the car-truck, boxes, movable bolster, and brake mechanism, of the bars J, rollers, stirrups, straps, sectorlevers, chains connecting the straps and sector-levers, and chains or equivalents connecting the sector-levers and brake mechanism, all of the above parts combined and adapted to operate as described.

HENRY ELAD. FRITZ HOPPNER.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM BUsH, S. G. NOTTINGHAM. 

